The invention relates generally to case loaders or case packers for loading articles such as bottles or plastic jugs into boxes or cases.
A variety of case loading machines are known. In one general type, articles to be cased are delivered by a relatively upper article supply conveyor to a loading station and are moved onto a horizontal loading gate. At the same time, cases are delivered by a relatively lower case conveyor to and are moved into position over a support table or platform of an elevator, below the loading gate and also part of the loading station. During an operation cycle, the elevator and a case are raised toward the loading gate, which is then opened to allow articles to drop into the case. The elevator is then lowered, and the case is conveyed off.
As a more particular example of a case loading machine of that general type of case loading machine, articles such as bottles or jugs are conveyed to the loading station, by a pair of side-by-side relatively upper article conveyors. The conveyors run continuously, and slide by underneath the articles or cases when the bottles or cases are braked or stopped, such as prior to entering the loading station. The article conveyor stops just short of the loading station, and so the last few feet of travel of the articles to be loaded is over a pneumatically-actuated loading gate, which is essentially a smooth horizontal plate. Force for moving the articles onto the loading gate is provided by backed-up articles which are still on the article conveyor belt as the article conveyor continues to move, known as line pressure force. When articles and cases are in position, the pneumatically-actuated loading gate opens to drop the articles into the cases.
The lower part of the loading station, which handles the cases, includes the elevator which lifts the cases up so that the articles do not have as far to drop, and then lowers the filled cases to be conveyed downstream.